


Daydream Believer

by taitofan



Category: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (Anime), Sailor Moon - All Media Types
Genre: Femslash, Future Fic, Het, Multi, Polyamory, Romance, Slash
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-29
Updated: 2015-04-12
Packaged: 2018-01-10 10:48:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 13,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1158768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/taitofan/pseuds/taitofan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Chibiusa decided that she wasn't going to choose one of her lovers over the other, which lead to her mother accepting her feelings for a certain woman.  Now the royal family, all of their guardians, the inhabitants of Elysion, and the Starlights are all together...  Life in Crystal Tokyo just got a lot more interesting.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Sometimes Chibiusa wondered if she had this romance thing all wrong.

Her parents were her biggest indication.  They had what she could only describe as a romance full of miracles.  No matter what happened—be it past, present, or future—they would find each other and fall in love over and over again.  Neither time, nor other suitors, could get in their way, and heaven knew plenty of people had tried to woo both her mother and her father away.

Then there were the other sailor soldiers, who either sought monogamous comfort in each other, such as Haruka and Michiru, or stayed celibate in order to better serve their queen.  Even Minako, who had mooned over more men than Chibiusa personally knew, hadn’t been on a date in hundreds of years.

Soon though, all too soon, she was going to have to figure out what she was doing wrong and fix it.  A princess needed a prince after all, and even if it would be a very long time before she herself ascended to the throne, she needed to be wed so her husband could be groomed to be the new king.  Her mother was already trying to introduce her to suitable young men, though she was doing her best to pretend it wasn’t for matchmaking purposes.

And there laid the problem—she didn’t want any prince that her mother could possibly introduce her to.  Sure, she wanted a kind man who loved her and would rule competently at her side, but there was not a man in all of Crystal Tokyo who held her interest.

But that might have been because there were two men in Elysion who had both owned her heart since she was a child.

“Small Lady, are you alright?”  Chibiusa slowly came out of her musing and glanced down at the young cat on her lap.  Diana wasn’t exactly a kitten anymore, but she wasn’t the size of her parents yet.  Was that how other people saw her?  Not a child, but still not an adult to be taken seriously?  She was very old, in terms of years, but her body was that of an older teenager.  She didn’t think she was exactly the pinnacle of maturity, but she wasn’t _immature_ either.  She knew what she wanted, and she’d given it more thought than it probably needed, but…

“Yes, of course.  Don’t worry, Diana.”

…She couldn’t help but think that when she finally told her parent of her wishes, they wouldn’t find her desires to be sincere, but rather the fanciful dreams of a little girl.

“If you say so…”  She knew Diana didn’t quite believe her, but that was fine.  It wasn’t exactly true after all.  But, given time…  She would be fine.  She had to be, because this was what she wanted more than anything in the world, and surely her parents would support her, even if it took time.  They _had_ to…

Right?

\---

Chibiusa stood before her expectant parents, wondering if she could _really_ do this.  She had _thought_ she could—she wouldn’t have asked to talk to them privately if she hadn’t—but now, with their eyes on her, she wasn’t so sure.

‘ _I **need** to_ ,’ she told herself firmly.  ‘ _I might not know how they’ll take it, but I’ll never know unless I try, right?  Besides, this isn’t just for me…_ ’

“Mama, Papa…  I’ve decided who I wish to marry.”  Her father looked weary at those words, and she wasn’t surprised.  No father wanted to see their little girl start her own family after all.  Her mother on the other hand…  Neo Queen Serenity looked absolutely ecstatic.  Her eyes shone with the same excitement she’d had back in the past when she saw delicious cake.

“That’s wonderful Small Lady!  Oh, I’m so happy for you!  Who’s the lucky man who’s stolen your heart? Is it one of the nice young men you met at the last ball?”  She smiled at her mother’s curiosity.  It was rare times like this that she could see Serenity’s teenage self shining though.  Chibiusa was just glad she wasn’t such a ditz anymore.

“Um, well…  No, it isn’t.  But…  You’ve met who I want to marry before.”  The queen raised an elegant eyebrow at the last part.

“Have I…?  Who…?”  Suddenly, her eyes widened in understanding.  “It’s Helios, isn’t it?  You always look so happy when he’s able to visit!”  Chibiusa took a deep breath and braced herself.  It was now or never…

“Yes, I want to marry Helios.  I’ve loved him for a long time…”  Serenity’s smile grew, and Chibiusa had to keep going quickly, before her mother spoke and she lost her nerve.  “But he’s not the only one.  I want to marry Perle too.”

Endymion, who’d been in bed injured for most of the Badiane ordeal, was rather lost.  Serenity, on the other hand, surely could remember the young faerie boy who’d saved her daughter and her past self.  Judging by the look on her face, she did indeed know who her daughter spoke of, but Chibiusa didn’t like that faint pitying expression she wore.

“My dear…”  She paused and looked at her husband, who only shook his head, as if to indicate he wasn’t touching this one.  “You know that you can’t marry two men.  It’s against the law, and not even the royal family is exempt from that.  Even if you truly love them both, you can only marry one.”

“I know all of that.”  She tried to keep the frustration out of her voice.  Didn’t they think she’d thought this through?  “But I’ve looked through the law books, and royalty is allowed to have consorts.  I can marry Helios, and Perle can still be the king consort.  It’s marriage in everything but name, and no one in the court can complain because he won’t have the power I will.”  She hated that fact, but she’d rather have Perle with her but without political power than not have him at all.

Of course, that hardly seemed to matter at the moment, because neither of her parents looked happy with her plan.

 “Small Lady, you can’t expect them to both be with you.”  She almost rolled her eyes at the very idea.  Oh, if they only knew…  “And what of their duties?  I know your heart is leading you, but you must think of these things…”

Chibiusa had to bite her tongue to not say something she’d regret.  Obviously, they just didn’t understand.  She’d simply have to explain it.

“Mama, I _have_ thought of these things.  Not only that, but the three of us have discussed many things at great length.  They both have the ability to appear in my dreams, remember?  I see them every night!  _At the same time._   Trust me, I don’t doubt for a second that they both like the plan I told you.”  She wisely left out the things the three of them did in her dreams other than _talk_.  That was a discussion she planned on never _ever_ having with them.  “As for duties…  Perle isn’t the only protector of children’s dreams, so that’s not an issue.  And since Helios is a priest under Papa…  If Helios becomes the next king, a new priest will take his place in Elysion.”

It all made perfect sense to her, as well as to her lovers.  Helios had some concerns about leaving Elysion alone, but there weren’t any threats at the moment, and the man he had in mind to become the next priest was very competent.  Perle didn’t even have an issue with the arrangement.  There were many fairies like him in the world; they wouldn’t miss just one going to start a family.

“…I just don’t think this is a good idea.”

Chibiusa frowned as her father nodded silently at his wife’s declaration.  Were they even listening to her?  Her mother wasn’t even going to give her a reason _why_?

“What’s wrong with it?”  She asked as calmly as she could.  She had to be mature about this…  “It’s legal, Helios is qualified to be a king, we all want it, their jobs are in good hands…  What else is there that could make this a bad idea?”

Serenity didn’t answer at first.  She glanced at her husband, and then turned back to her daughter.  Her eyes didn’t seem to hold any joy in them anymore.  Suddenly Chibiusa’s mind was filled with whispered words she’d hear from her mother’s guardians when they thought she wasn’t around.  She remembered how tense her mother got when the princess of another world came to visit, bringing her own guardians with her.  So, those whispered rumors were true…?  She had no doubt that her parents were very much in love, _but_ …

If Serenity’s heart was big enough to love two people, then the fact she was holding her daughter back just made Chibiusa even more frustrated.

“Small Lady, I know you must think this is a perfect idea, but in the end—”

“Just because _you_ chose to ignore what your heart wanted doesn’t mean _I_ should have to too!”  The words were out of her mouth before she could stop herself.  Part of her regretted them instantly, but more than anything, she meant them with all her heart.  “I love Helios and Perle, and even if you don’t approve, I _will_ be with both of them.  I’m not a child!  I won’t make the same mistakes you did!”

As her mother’s eyes welled with tears and she fled the room, her bewildered husband close behind, that guilt was finally settling in.  She’d crossed a line that she didn’t know anything about.  So much for showing how mature she was…

But if her mother was really in love with both her father and that woman from Kinmoku as all of the guardians said she was, why was she so against this?  All Chibiusa could assume was that since it hadn’t worked out for her, Serenity didn’t want her to go through it too.  But even that didn’t make any sense unless her mother hadn’t been paying attention to a word she’d just said.

…Or, perhaps, if she hadn’t explained it enough.

Within moments, Chibiusa was running out of the throne room.  She could still salvage this situation…  At least, she _hoped_ that she could.

\---

It hadn’t been hard to get her father to leave her alone with her crying mother.  Even in the past, his love’s tears tended to make him uncomfortable.  With a promise that she’d make everything right, she was left in her parents’ bedroom.  She took a deep breath to calm herself, then sat on the large bed beside Serenity.

“…Did you ever tell Papa that you love Miss Seiya?”  Serenity didn’t say anything—not even to deny her daughter’s assumptions.  She merely shook her head.  “Then how do you know it couldn’t have worked with all of you?”

Serenity still didn’t say a word, nor did she look at her daughter.  Chibiusa wasn’t giving up that easily though.

“You know, at first I was really scared.  I’ve loved them both for so long, and I thought that was wrong.  But they both love me too, and once they realized what was going on…”  She smiled at the memory of them meeting her in her dreams that fateful night.  “It took time, but now they love each just as much as they love me.”

“…Seiya only likes women.”  _There_ , there was her opening.  She just had to jump on it.

“So?  If she loves you even half as much as everyone makes it sound like, I’m sure she’d be happy to share.  And Papa loves you _so much_!  I know that if he knew you were unhappy—”

“But I _shouldn’t_ be unhappy!”  Serenity wasn’t crying anymore, but her voice was still shaky.  “I…  I have the man I’ve loved through time and space and _death_.  That should be enough.  I shouldn’t…  I…”

“Oh Mama,” Chibiusa murmured, leaning over to force herself into Serenity’s arms.  Serenity didn’t think twice before hugging her firmly.  “Who cares about shoulds and shouldn’ts?  You love them both, so it wouldn’t hurt to try.  And…  I love Helios and Perle, and they both love me and each other.  We’ve got it under control Mama, we really do.  We just need you and Papa to approve.  I know I said before that I don’t care, but I _do_.  I really want you to be okay with it…”

Serenity’s grip didn’t loosen a bit as she held Chibiusa.  She wondered what her mother was thinking, and she knew that Serenity was indeed thinking hard about what she was going to say next.  Chibiusa hoped it was something good, but she _had_ made her mother cry, so if it _wasn’t_ , well, she understood.

“…You’re sure no one gets left out?”  Chibiusa nodded, glad her mother couldn’t see the flush that grew on her face.  Oh no, no one got left out in their relationship _at all_.  “How quickly can Helios and Perle get to the palace?  We should start wedding plans soon, before Minako finds out and tries to take over everything.”

Chibiusa only _barely_ kept her composure.  It was very hard not to jump up and dance around the palace when she finally had her mother’s approval.  Then again…  Maybe maturity could be overrated sometimes.

“I’ll tell them tonight!” she cheered, pulling Serenity off the bed and spinning them around.  Serenity was smiling again, twirling around with her daughter as if nothing had been wrong in the first place.  They laughed and hugged, and it didn’t take long for Endymion to come in and find out what was going on.  When Serenity told him about the marriage, he seemed to tentatively accept it, knowing that at least Helios could be trusted.  When Serenity didn’t mention anything else, Chibiusa didn’t say a word either.  That wasn’t her business, and she’d meddled enough.  Now she was going to have a wedding to worry about anyway.

For the first time in a long while, Chibiusa was sure that everything between her and her lovers was going to be perfectly fine.

And with a little luck, maybe everything would be okay for her mother too.


	2. Chapter 2

True to her word, Chibiusa had contacted her lovers—Boyfriends?  Fiancées?—that very night, and informed her parents the next morning that they’d be there in a week.  That news was no problem as far as Serenity was concerned.  It was neither too long of a wait nor too short of notice.  No, it was the rest of the information that Chibiusa told her that was a bit concerning.

Helios and Perle wouldn’t be coming alone.  Four men residing in Elysion would be joining them.  Three of them she’d known before Chibiusa had the chance to say—the Amazon Trio had left with Helios back when she’d still been known as Usagi Tsukino, and Helios had mentioned them a few times when he visited the royal family in Crystal Tokyo.  That was all fine with Serenity; they’d changed, and Fish Eye’s infatuation with her husband had long since faded.  But the last man…

“Are you really that worried about Fiore?”  Serenity didn’t answer her husband at first, and when she finally did, there was a heavy look of concern in her eyes.

“The last time we saw him…”  She paused and shook her head.  “He was in love with you!”

“I know, my dear, but—”

“What if he still loves you?”

“You know I don’t—”

“I don’t want him to be sad when he sees you!”

He paused, his eyes wide, as if not believing what she’d just said.   She didn’t understand why he’d react like that.  Fiore had been his friend—wasn’t he concerned too?  Chibiusa had said that Fiore had only been residing in Elysion for a few centuries.  Had his heart had time to heal?

“…That’s your concern?”  He asked, laughing softly, though she still didn’t understand _why_.  “That he’ll be heartbroken?”

“Yes, of course,” she responded passionately, not sure if she’d be able to take the other man’s sorrowful looks as she had in her youth.  She’d been young then—naïve.  She hadn’t understood the situation like she did now.  She didn’t want to see Fiore hurt, no matter what had happened in the past.  “What else would worry me?”

“…What else indeed.”  He smiled and gathered her into his arms, embracing her affectionately.  “My love, sometimes the size of your heart astounds me.  It’s little wonder you can love that Starlight woman after all this time.”

It felt as if an icy hand seized her heart, freezing her.  Slowly, she gathered the courage to lift her head from his shoulder and look at his face.  He was smiling kindly at her, as if he _hadn’t_ just casually said that he knew his wife loved another woman.

“Y-you know about that?” she asked shakily, her voice soft and hesitant.  “And you aren’t mad?”

“Of course I do,” he answered with a laugh, though not an unkind one, “and of course I’m not.  Besides, even if I was, what good would it do?  I love you Serenity, and I know you love me.  If having that woman here is what will make you truly happy, who am I to say no?  You’d allow someone else into the relationship if you thought I love them, wouldn’t you?”

The thought had certainly crossed her mind that she would let Fiore in if there was anything between him and her husband, even if there could be nothing between her and Fiore.  She’d do anything to make her husband happy.

“Yes, I would, definitely!”

“There you are.”  He brought a gloved hand up to cradle her cheek, and she leaned into the touch gratefully.  “And I will do the same for you, if that is what she wishes as well.”

“Oh Endymion…”  There was certainly a reason she had fallen in love with him over and over.  He was doing a good job of reminding her of that lately.  “Thank you so much…”

“You don’t have to thank me.  That’s what love is all about, isn’t it?  Happiness and trust.”

Yes, she agreed, that was certainly correct.  They loved and trusted each other, and their hearts were big enough to love another, a trait that was passed onto their daughter.  No matter what, they would make everything work out.  Just as they always had.

\---

The inhabitants of Elysion arrived in four days, in the morning, right after the royal family had breakfast.  The princess of Kinmoku and the Starlights showed up right before lunch.

“I didn’t think everyone would come at once,” Serenity muttered as she scurried back and forth in her room.  None of them had been dressed to greet fellow royalty.  While she doubted Kakyuu would have really cared if they were dressed to the nines or not, she wasn’t around.  Not anymore.

The silver crystal had kept everyone it touched within Crystal Tokyo alive and well for centuries.  As it seemed, certain individuals not of Earth had been protected as well.  That included the Starlights, but not Kakyuu.  She had often wondered if the Starlights resented her for indirectly causing them to outlive their princesses, but she hoped not.  She loved them as if they were her own guardians, and that would have torn her apart.

But judging by the smile Seiya had given her when they’d arrived, she didn’t think she had to worry about that _too_ much.  She just hoped…

“Mama, are you done?”  Chibiusa’s voice was impatient, and Serenity had to laughed softly, as she knew exactly why her daughter was in such a hurry.  Her eyes had positively glowed with joy when Helios and Perle had shown up.  She truly was in love with them both, and looking at the three of them together, Serenity knew that she had nothing to worry about.  They were all very much in love, and no one would suffer being left out.

That, of course, only made her worry about her own situation more.  Even if Seiya wanted to be with her, and even if Endymion was fine with sharing, there was still the fact that Seiya only liked women.  What would happen when she was with one of them?  Could they…?  Would they…?

“Mama!  You didn’t fall asleep in there, did you?”

“No, I’m coming.”  She opened the door and saw her daughter bouncing in place on her heels.  Serenity smiled at the sight and hooked their arms together.  “Shall we?”

“Yes!”

They walked together until they reached the end of the hallway, where Endymion was waiting for them.  Chibiusa let go, and Serenity took her husband’s arm while the princess led the way.  Serenity was proud of her daughter’s restraint—she managed to stay calm and wait patiently alongside her guardians.  She didn’t run off to her lovers until everyone had officially been announced, and with all the visitors, the royal family, and three sets of royal guardians, that was an awfully lot of waiting.

She watched the three share a hug, while the Amazon Trio and Fiore stood close.  The four men standing so loyally behind the future king and king consort of Crystal Tokyo rather reminded her of the four men who stood close by the current king.  Four men who had remained safely in small stones for many centuries as they regained the strength to once again serve the king they had long ago, during the Silver Millennium and before Beryl corrupted them.  An idea hit her—just as Endymion had his Four Heavenly Kings to protect him, maybe the new future kings could have the same, just as Chibiusa had the Sailor Quartetto to protect her.  After all, between the Trio and Fiore…

She took special notice of how close Fiore and Fisheye stood and smiled.  It looked like she didn’t have to worry about Fiore feeling upset upon seeing Endymion after all.  The two even bore a resemblance to the Four Heavenly King’s leader and second-in-command, who had been in love for as long as she had known them.  Serenity was so very glad that there was so much love within her palace walls!

…Then she noted Hawk’s Eye and Yaten glaring daggers at each other and sighed before smiling once more.  Okay, so not everything about this visit was going to go perfectly.  That was fine and, in fact, perfectly normal.  She wasn’t sure what those two were upset about—maybe Yaten had insulted his shoes or he’d made fun of her height and called her a child; both seemed equally as likely—but it was a small bump.  Right now, she had bigger things to worry about.

Seiya caught her eye and gave her a look that warmed Serenity’s heart.  Oh goddesses above, how she loved that woman…

Now she just had to keep faith that she and Seiya still stood a chance after all this time.


	3. Chapter 3

“I don’t see why we should be excited about going to meet our _replacements_!”

 Zoisite spit out the word as if it left a bitter taste in his mouth.  While Kunzite knew this was most certainly not the case, his lover had been dramatic for as long as he’d known him, and that was _millennia_ at the present time.

Zoisite was also still as beautiful as he’d been during the Silver Millennium, and he didn’t hesitate to take his lovely partner into his arms to comfort him.

“Small Lady’s betrothed hardly brought those four here as our replacements,” he explained calmly, stroking Zoisite’s hair soothingly.  Of course, he had never knowingly lied to Zoisite before, and he wasn’t about to start now.  “Just because they most likely will take on the same role for the new kings does not mean they are our replacements.”

“See?”  Zoisite cried, yanking himself from his arms, his eyes holding a touch of hysteria that wasn’t even remotely a rare thing.  “Even _you_ think they’ve come to take our jobs!  How are you and the others taking this so well?”

“Perhaps,” he began slowly, letting Zoisite have his space while he cooled down, “it is because we all realize that they are _not_.  We are tasked to protect King Endymion, and the future kings will need guardians who are as close to _them_ as we are to _our_ king.  They are not the same task, and you should not view them as such.”

Zoisite frowned his pretty little frown, then sighed and flopped gracefully—Kunzite would never think Zoisite did _anything_ without grace, even something as basely undignified as _flopping_ —onto their bed.  Even as long as they’d lived and died and lived again, Zoisite never stopped being petit.  He would always look too small when he was alone on their bed, and Kunzite had to use all of his willpower not to join him.  But the official announcement of their multitude of guests would be in an hour; there would be time for that later.  Now, he had to get Zoisite’s mind onto another subject before the hour was up.

 “Perhaps it is time that we finally wed.”

If the expression on Zoisite’s face as he abruptly sat up was any indication, Kunzite had succeeded.

 “… _What_?”

 Honestly, it was something Kunzite thought about a lot.  But oddly, not once had Zoisite ever indicated that he _wanted_ to get married.  Even when they’d been a part of Nephrite and Naru’s wedding, he hadn’t brought up the subject of getting married himself.  Kunzite had no doubts that Zoisite loved him, so he’d just assumed that maybe Zoisite had something against the concept of marriage or something similar.  Even now, he wondered if he’d made a mistake.  Zoisite wasn’t exactly bounding for joy at the question.

“The princess’s wedding will still take quite a bit of time to plan, so I doubt there will be any objections.”  He pretended that he didn’t notice Zoisite’s lack of response.  It wasn’t hard, but it didn’t feel right.  After all, Zoisite was the one person he could truly be open around.  “In any case, with as long as we’ve been together, I believe we’ve met the requirements for a common law marriage several times over.”

Slowly, Zoisite stood from the bed and walked a few steps closer.  His green eyes were narrowed with suspicion.  Surely, he didn’t think this was a _joke_?

“Kunzite, are you honestly asking me to marry you?”  He thought that much was obvious.  Maybe he should have been more blunt?

“I realize I am hardly doing this traditionally, but—”

“ _Yes_!”

Kunzite couldn’t say another word as Zoisite was suddenly in his arms and kissing him with fervor.  It was all quite confusing, but with a lover like Zoisite, nothing could ever be straightforward or simple.  Of course, that also meant that life never got dull.

“You didn’t seem very eager at first.”  He pointed after the kisses slowed down, not caring if he sounded perplexed.  Zoisite was the only one he was alright with knowing he wasn’t perfectly composed and stoic.

“I wasn’t sure if you were actually asking or just contemplating,” Zoisite admitted, giggly softly.  “I mean, this is technically our third life together, and you haven’t proposed before…  Even Nephrite got married, what, a century ago?”  Kunzite gave him a pointed look at the borderline accusation.

“You never brought up marriage.”

“You didn’t either!  I thought maybe you didn’t like the thought of getting married.  That you thought it was foolish or something.  If you’d asked…”  Zoisite shook his head and smiled up him. “Oh Kunzite, who cares?  _We’re getting married_!”

Zoisite’s lips were on his again, and Kunzite decided he was right.  Who cared?  That was all in the past, and they had a very long future ahead of them still.  Even when they were no longer part of the Four Heavenly Kings, they would still always be together, just as they always had been.

This time, they would have their happy ending.

 ---

They stood united as the Four Heavenly Kings, alongside the royal family and the queen and princess’s guardians.  With fifteen of them and ten guests, it took a while, and Kunzite was able to get a better look at the newcomers.  The colorful group of four men who’d arrived with the future kings had all apparently fought against the sailor soldiers as well, but they still looked awfully inexperienced.  Certainly, they’d never had military training.  They’d need much more teaching before they were ready to protect anyone’s lives, but…  They didn’t seem like bad successors.  A glance over to Zoisite told him that his brand new fiancée still didn’t feel the same.  Luckily, Zoisite kept glancing down at his hand—where Kunzite promised a ring would soon be once they were dismissed—so he didn’t openly glare at the newcomers.

Finally, the introductions were finished, and the princess ran towards her lovers.  With a commotion starting, he could drop his guard and focus on his fellow guardians.  Well, one in particular.

“Well?”  he asked, knowing that Zoisite knew what he meant.

 “…They’ll do,” he answered reluctantly, pouting again.  Kunzite allowed himself to smile faintly.  “Now, when are you going to buy me an engagement ring?  It had better be as beautiful as me!  If it clashes with _anything_ , the wedding is off!”

It was an exaggeration—Zoisite had a terrible poker face and was grinning far too widely to be serious—but it certainly got them attention.

“You two are finally tying the knot?”

“I’m surprised you’ve waited this long…”

“We’ll be your best men, right?”

“We’d better be!”

Kunzite shook his head as Nephrite and Jadeite badgered Zoisite for more information, smiling a tiny bit more.  He was very sure that he’d made the right decision not to ask for Zoisite’s hand before.  No, their pasts had been full of strife and darkness, but now…

Now they lived in a bright future.  One he fully expected to enjoy with Zoisite at his side for all eternity.


	4. Chapter 4

Kou Yaten wasn’t in a very good mood.

Admittedly, she often was a bit grouchy, but she knew that she was getting more irritable as time went on.  And for her, time certainly had gone on for a long time since she’d first left her home planet.  As much as she’d loathed to admit it, she’d enjoyed her time on Earth, and it was hard leaving for Kinmoku again.  Then she and her teammates had learned that the silver crystal had touched them in such a way that they stopped aging…  And Princess Kakyuu had died…

Yaten wasn’t even sure which granddaughter they were on anymore.  All she knew was that Princess Kozue didn’t like that she had the same guardians as all of her predecessors.  She and the other Starlights shouldn’t have known their princess’s plans, but the girl was far too hot-tempered— _nothing_ like Kakyuu—to have kept quiet about it after fighting with them one night.

“Maybe you should enjoy your last days on Kinmoku instead of annoying me!  Cause when we get to Earth, I’m offering you to the queen!  Maybe _she_ actually wants you around!”

It wasn’t hard to believe it was happening.  For several generations, the princesses seemed to enjoy their presence less and less.  As tales from the time of Galaxia’s destruction grew and mutated, they all seemed a little more bitter that the Starlights stayed young while they all grew old and died.  Seiya in particular had seemed grateful upon hearing the spoiled princess’s words.

It wasn’t as if Yaten minded being under Neo Queen Serenity’s command instead—because she had no doubt that no matter what her name or title, Usagi would never turn them away—it was just…

Her mood grew darker as they entered the royal palace.  She knew the princess wasn’t planning on staying any longer than necessary, so this all seemed so _fake_.  Add to that the blonde woman she saw no more than five minutes upon arrival…

Yaten had, at one point, fancied herself in love with Minako Aino.  It was foolish, of course, because Minako’s interest in her had absolutely plummeted upon learning she was actually a girl.  It had stung, but she’d gotten over it.  It had been more of a feeling that she _should_ love the bubbly blonde than really desiring her anyway, and now all that was left was a bitter feeling deep within her.  And seeing Minako now didn’t help her attitude in the least.  It just reminded her of one more thing that hadn’t worked out.  One more way she wasn’t like her teammates.  One more way she felt isolated from the people of Kinmoku…

Still, she knew how to be professional, so upon entering the palace, she’d tried her best not to let her irritation with _literally everything_ show.  But then they’d run into Small Lady’s guests, and Yaten _literally_ ran into _him_.

“Oh, sorry little girl.  You aren’t hurt, are you?”

The man’s words probably hadn’t meant anything, but Yaten didn’t exactly like being reminded that even at her age, she was still very short, and certain parts of her anatomy had never grown as much as her teammates’.  Add that to how she already felt…

“I’m almost a thousand years old,” she hissed, batting away the gloved hand held out to her and getting to her feet by herself.  She looked him over and sneered, suddenly deciding that maybe being petty would make her feel better.  It had always worked in the past.  “I’d be a lot better if I hadn’t been knocked over by a fashion reject in bad heels though.”

The man had sputtered and two of his companions ended up dragging him away as he yelled about her small chest making her look twelve.  She fumed in kind, and it took both Taiki and Seiya yanking her by an arm apiece to get her moving again.

The fact that they ended up standing next to each other as they were introduced hadn’t helped things in the slightest.

Hawk’s Eye was his name, and she’d almost laughed the moment she’d heard it.  He’d glared, and she’d glared, and Taiki glared at them both for making a scene, but she didn’t care.  She was finally getting a chance to vent her frustrations, and Hawk’s Eye was present and willing to go along with it.

Upon Small Lady breaking from her family to greet her fiancées, Taiki grabbed her arm and took her aside.

“You do realize that if Neo Queen Serenity takes us in”—and she would, especially with the way she was openly mooning over Seiya—“you’ll be living in the palace with that man, correct?  You might want to stop and ask yourself if this is what you want.  Having duties for a queen will be no different from duties for the princesses we’ve served, even if we aren’t personal guardians anymore.”

“I know that,” she snapped, yanking her arm away.  “What does that have to do with anything?”

“Yaten…”  Taiki sighed, and her pitying expression made Yaten want to lash out.  Deep down, she knew what Taiki was about to say, and she didn’t want to hear it.  “I know that what’s the norm on Kinmoku is quite the opposite here on Earth.  Seiya and I…  We’ve both known for a long time.  But even if it will pose no problems here, if you pursue a relationship with him, you might—”

“What?” she interrupted, glaring at Taiki with all her might.  “What in the cosmos gave you the idea I would ever want a relationship with that walking fashion reject?”

Taiki sighed and shook her head, while Yaten just glared for all she was worth.  _Her_ , liking a guy like _him_?  What a joke!  She would never—!

“You haven’t been this invested in arguing with anyone since you harbored feelings for Miss Aino, and you’ve only even known of his existence for a few hours.  Why should I believe this is anything different?  We all know you fear rejection, so you express your interest in someone with rude quips and insults and—”

Yaten didn’t stick around to hear anymore.  She knew it wasn’t proper, but everyone was too invested in their own affairs to care that she fled the room towards her room in the guest quarters.

She didn’t want to hear that.  Not from Taiki.  Not from _anyone_.  Fear getting hurt?  Covering up attraction with catty words?  Liking a _man_?  How _dare_ she!

She slammed the door to her room shut behind her, her knees buckling.  She sank to the floor, her eyes welling up with angry tears.  Stupid Taiki.  That…  that stupid man!  Stupid _her_!

…Because Taiki was absolutely correct, but she’d be damned if she ever admitted it.  She was so much better than this…  She didn’t want to get hurt.  Not again, not when she’d soon be living under the same roof as Minako.  And she didn’t want to be different from her teammates.  She’d tried so _hard_ to love Minako, but it just hadn’t worked.  Not for either of them.  And after all this time, some idiotic _man_ runs her over and—

She didn’t want to think about how easy his face was on her eyes, or how nice his voice sounded, or how his revealing—though still very much a fashion nightmare—attire showed off his toned body, or those striking red eyes…

She’d gotten hurt from a crush-on-first-sight before, and she wasn’t going to make that mistake again.


	5. Chapter 5

Fiore had been in love with Mamoru for a long time—the other man had been his first friend and his first love, and even after he was defeated and drifted through space for several centuries, he had kept his feelings deep in his heart.  He hadn’t thought he’d ever have friends, and he’d _known_ he’d never love another.

It had taken coming back to Earth again to change his attitude on both subjects.

He’d arrived on Earth during the age of Crystal Tokyo, and while he’d still been a bit weak, the silver crystal that protected the inhabitants of Crystal Tokyo gave him strength to finally return to the state he’d been before fighting Sailor Moon.  However, just knowing that Mamoru was there, within the city…  Then learning that he was now King Endymion, married and a father…

It hurt.  Not as much as it had the last time he’d been on the planet, but it still _hurt_.  Not having a place to live didn’t help his plight, and the people of Crystal Tokyo were so used to their way of life that his exotic appearance had caused many to ignore him when he asked for assistance.  It seemed that perhaps the perfect utopia he’d originally thought the crystal city to be wasn’t quite so perfect after all.

But it hadn’t mattered to him that not everything was perfect.  He just hadn’t wanted to be alone again.  He hadn’t want to leave Earth and float in space any longer!  He’d wanted a home, flawed or not!

And he’d gotten one when a young white-haired man appeared before Fiore and told him of his destiny, if only he’d follow him to a realm known as Elysion.  And well, what had Fiore had to lose?  He’d allowed himself to be spirited away to the dream land, and he’d found that yes, he _could_ have a home.  He _could_ have friends.  He could even love someone and find love in return.

“Are you scared?”  Fiore shook his head, not needing to ask what his companion was talking about.

“He has a wife and we’re going there because Helios and Perle are marrying his daughter.  No, I have nothing to be scared of.  The queen forgave me long ago, and I don’t love the king anymore…”

Scared, no.  _Nervous_ though…  Apparently, Fisheye didn’t fail to notice this, as he threaded their fingers together in a comforting gesture.  He’d been told once, back when they first met, that Fisheye’s hands had once been scaly and webbed.  Now they were soft and smooth, and they fit perfectly within Fiore’s.

“I loved him once too, you know,” Fisheye reminded him, though there was really no need.  That had been what they’d bonded over when Fiore had first arrived in Elysion, after all.  They’d both loved Mamoru Chiba, they’d both fought Sailor Moon, and they’d both lost in battle _and_ in love to her.  But really, it _didn’t_ hurt anymore.  Why should it, when they’d found love in each other in the end?  “And even if I love you now…  I dunno.  It’s going to be kinda weird living with him and the little pumpkin…”

“It’s going to be _weird_ if you called the queen a _pumpkin_ ,” Fiore teased, chuckling when Fisheye stuck his tongue out at him.

They wouldn’t be leaving Elysion forever quite yet, but this trip to Crystal Tokyo would be a taste of their new lives.  Fiore had grown comfortable here, but he knew that he had to go with the others.  He owed Helios so much, he could never leave his friends, and he would never even dream of leaving Fisheye.  Helios didn’t have to take him in.  The trio didn’t need to share their pasts.  Fisheye didn’t have to fall in love with him.  But they had.   They’d saved him from an eternity of loneliness—they were his _family_ —and he loved them all dearly. 

He supposed it didn’t matter if his home changed its location, because as far as he was concerned, it would always be right where his family was.

\---

“Helios and Perle are getting lucky tonight,” Fisheye whispered in the most scandalous, singsong tone Fiore thought he was capable of.  Well, he wasn’t sure if things would progress _that_ far when Small Lady’s parents were there and she was still unmarried, but who knew?  Fisheye knew more about this girl than he did.

Speaking of her parents…  He looked up and saw Mamoru— _King Endymion_ he corrected himself—looking at his wife, who was in turn looking at one of the women who’d arrived that day as well.  Much to his relief, seeing his old friend hadn’t revived any painful feelings.  He still loved Fisheye more than the world, though he did find himself hoping that their friendship could be rekindled.

“Hey Fiore, you didn’t see Hawk run off, did you?”  He looked away from the royal couple, only to see that Hawk’s Eye was indeed missing.  For that matter, so was the white haired girl who he’d been fighting with ever since they’d arrived.  Fisheye and Tiger’s Eye had teased him mercilessly about his “flirting” with a young girl, but Fiore hadn’t joined in.  While he didn’t doubt their friendship, sometimes he felt that he’d never _truly_ be as close to his friends as the trio were to each other, despite their claims to the contrary.  He just didn’t feel comfortable saying the things they could easily say to each other…

Friendship and relationships were both more complicated than he’d originally thought, but he was at least sure that he was making progress.  He wasn’t, say, locking people up and trying to kill people anymore.

“That girl is gone too,” was all he said.  He wasn’t keen on having any deep, soul-searching conversations in public.  “Maybe they went somewhere to keep fighting and not bother anyone?”

“Or maybe to make out.”  Fisheye didn’t even pose it as a question.  “You know, that sounds like a _really_ good idea…”

While it didn’t seem very smart to give into all of Fisheye’s winking and nudging, this trip _was_ supposed to get them used to living in the castle…  And everyone _had_ seemed to go off to do their own things…  And Fisheye _was_ looking terribly cute at that moment…

He didn’t know if the king or queen noticed them leave, or if they’d even care if they did.  But as he slipped his hand into Fisheye’s and let his lover lead him towards the guest rooms, he found himself hoping that they had.  He wanted them to know that he’d found friends and family and _love_.  He was happy, and it was thanks to their forgiveness.

He wanted to thank them for _so much_.

But he still had to find the courage to face them first.


	6. Chapter 6

Chibiusa took full advantage of everyone suddenly having more interesting things to look at than her and grabbed both of her boys by the hand.  Without a word, she tugged them in the direction of the exit that would lead to the private royal wing.  Neither said a word until they were safely in the hallway, when Helios spoke up first.

“My dear Usa, are you sure this is wise?  People will talk.”  Despite his words, he didn’t sound horribly concerned.  He certainly didn’t stop following her.

“Let them,” she proclaimed proudly, squeezing their hands.  “Tonight you’re both being officially declared my fiancées, and everyone who was in there already knows what’s going on anyway.  Besides, Mama and Papa are too busy worrying about Miss Seiya to care about me sneaking off right now.”

They were hardly the only ones who’d disappeared from the room.  Yaten, Hawk’s Eye, Fisheye, and Fiore were all gone before they’d left, and she’d seen Kunzite and Zoisite subtly making their way to the exit as she’d hurried off.  She would be very surprised if anyone worried too much about her disappearance when they noticed Helios and Perle were gone too.

“I’ve never even seen the palace,” Perle whispered, his voice full of awe.  Though Helios had visited before, this was Perle first time being there.  He hadn’t left Elysion since the first time they met…

Chibiusa wondered if that was why he was holding her hand extra tightly.  They had seen each other every night in her dreams for so long, but this was their first time _physically_ seeing each other since her time in the past.  Soon though…  Soon they’d see each other every day for the rest of their very long lives.

It wasn’t long before they were standing outside of her bedroom doors.  Not even Helios had been inside, and Chibiusa could feel her heartbeat pounding inside of her chest as she let go of their hands to open the doors.  She didn’t think she should be nervous—she’d been very intimate with them within her dreams, and it had been that way for a long time.  But somehow, having them here in the flesh, about to go into her private room…

She took a deep breath and flung open the doors.

Once upon a time, her bedroom had been very, _very_ pink.  Now there was still plenty of pink, but there were many other soft pastel colors found around the spacious, tidy room.  The predominant color, however, was a milky white.  She turned to face her lovers and smiled widely.  She was, perhaps, a bit fond of that particular color those days.

“Come on in,” she invited, allowing them to enter before she closed and locked the doors behind her.  It wasn’t that she was expecting anything to happen…  But if it _did_ , she hardly wanted someone to rush in and interrupt anything.  While her parent always knocked, the Sailor Quartetto was another story altogether.  She loved her guardians terribly, but they had _dreadful_ timing.

“Usa, your room is so big!”  Perle, while dressed more formally than his normal attire, wasn’t hiding his wings, and they beat excitedly as he looked around.  Helios nodded in agreement, though Chibiusa wondered if her room was really so special.

“I’m sure the temple in Elysion must be impressive.”  She felt a bit sad that she’d never get to see the room Helios called his own.  “I mean it’s all golden, right?”

“Yes,” Helios confirmed, looking over her room in a much more subdued manner than Perle was, but no less intensely.  “The temple has a golden sheen to it, but this room, this entire palace…  There is much more color.  A varied rainbow…  It suits you and your family.”

“You two will be part of the family before long.”  They both stopped and turned to her, their faces full of joy and love, much like she assumed her own must look.  In a few hours, their engagement would be officially announced, and then in a few months, they would be wed.  It was a dream come true!  “I’m sure we can all share this room since it’s pretty big, so if you think of something you want to change, let me know.  I want all of us to be comfortable.”

“I think everything is perfect as it is,” Helios replied smoothly, in that way of his that made you know he wasn’t even trying it be; it was just natural.  It was a far cry from how awkward he could be as Pegasus, so long ago.  Now he could make her and Perle blush with absolutely no effort.  “After all, the two most precious treasures in our universe are already within it.”

And there it was—she felt her face flush hotly, and a glance over at Perle showed her that he wasn’t immune either.

“If you say so,” she giggled, walking over to her bed and sitting down.  While she’d expected them to explore more, she wasn’t terribly surprised when Perle was suddenly sitting next to her.  Nor when Helios was on her other side moments later.  Though Perle had no permanent home, he often stayed with Helios.  Dreams were fun and all, but now, being together in _real life_ , all _three_ of them…  She grabbed their shoulders and flopped onto her back, taking them down with her.

She giggled as they got closer, touching her face and pressing little kisses to her cheeks and ears and neck.  She leaned into their touches and returned their kisses, giving a pleased hum as she saw Helios lean over and give a quick peck to Perle’s lips.  She loved them, they loved her, and they loved each other.  It was perfect, and nothing could ruin this—!

“Small Lady, open the door!”  Cerecere’s voice was accompanied by a polite knocking.  Chibiusa groaned at the interruption, hoping that maybe if she didn’t answer, they’d go away.  Moments later a loud pounding replaced it, and she knew exactly who to blame for it.

“Don’t knock my door down, Junjun!  I’m coming!”  She reluctantly stood up and hurried to the door.  Bad timing indeed…  “What is it?”

The doors were only opened a crack, but she could see all four of them trying to peak in.  She moved her body to make sure her bed wasn’t in view.  They’d better not be interrupting just to try and sneak a peek…!

“There’s a bit of a commotion,” Cerecere explained, looking as if she didn’t quite know if it was a bad thing or not, “and your mother asked us to fetch you and your betrothed.  It seems that Princess Kozue has given her Starlights to the Queen and abruptly taken her leave without even saying goodbye to them.  Her highness is quite upset with the Princess’s actions.”

Chibiusa’s breath caught in her throat.  The Starlights… belonged to her mother now?  Could ownership over people just be _given_ like that?  Surely, if their new Princess was the type of person to leave just as quickly as she’d come without saying a single goodbye, she wasn’t a very good Princess, and the Starlights would be far better off serving under her mother.  But still…  She wondered how the other girls felt.

“And Pallapalla heard the old men talking about picking out rings!”  Four heads turned towards Pallapalla.  Even her sisters looked shocked at her words.

“The old men?”  Pallapalla nodded, and Chibiusa didn’t need to ask who she meant.  That was what she called the Four Heavenly Kings, and she could only think of two of them who would be getting married…

“Are you mad?”  Vesves asked, and it took Chibiusa a moment to wondered why she’d ask that.

_Oh, because that means they’ll probably get married before me, since my wedding will have so much to prepare for, especially with three people involved._

“No,” she answered completely sincerely.  “It’s not like me getting married means other couples can’t too.  It doesn’t take anything away from me.  Besides…  That means twice the wedding cake!”

Her guardians sighed—well, three did, and Pallapalla enthusiastically agreed—then told her to hurry down to the throne room.  She shrugged and shut the door again.  She’d tasted the wedding cake Makoto had made for when Nephrite and Naru had gotten married, and it was to die for.  At least one of her guardians could appreciate that…

It just so happened to be the one who ripped the heads off from dolls, but whatever.

“Cake?”  Perle asked, his eyes almost sparkling at the mere thought.  Chibiusa giggled, and Helios smiled fondly at the faerie boy, his arms wrapped around him.  Chibiusa wondered if what they’d done with her back turned…

“Well, if you heard that, you must have heard the rest too.”  She held out her hands, and soon they were up and joined with her.  “Let’s go see what Mama wants.”

As much as she wanted to have time alone with them, she knew that she had the rest of her life for that, and she had a feeling that her mother was going through a lot at the moment.  She could never turn her back on her family, even if her parents _could_ grate on her nerves at times.  And even if her guardians _did_ have bad timing. She loved them all, despite their faults.  Maybe even _because_ of them sometimes.

She smiled to herself, so very thankful that the two men beside her would soon officially be part of her big extended family.


	7. Chapter 7

Long before Crystal Tokyo came to be, Usagi Tsukino’s best friend had been Naru Osaka.  The kind girl had once fallen in love with one of the corrupted Four Heavenly Kings, and upon his death, she’d begun dating their classmate, Gurio Umino.

Not long before Crystal Tokyo came to be, when Usagi didn’t have much time to spend on things not related to being Sailor Moon and thus had drifted apart from her old friend, Umino died in an attack, leaving Naru alone and terribly lonely.

A hundred years ago, the Four Heavenly Kings, residing in the stones that bore their name for centuries, were able to take form in the world of the living once more.  Upon being cleansed of the last traces of Beryl’s corruption, they once again became Endymion’s guardians.  It hadn’t taken long at all after that for Nephrite to seek out Naru.  Nor for them to be wed.

Now, Neo Queen Serenity was very pleased to know that such a kind and loyal friend throughout her life was living in her palace.  It was especially refreshing because though Naru had known, even when they were in middle school, that strange things kept happening around her, Naru had no special powers of her own.  When Serenity wanted advice from a “normal” person, Naru was certainly the one to go to.

She was also one of the few people who still called her _Usagi_.

“Naru, may I speak with you?”  Despite it being her palace, Serenity hated going into people’s private rooms without permission.  She might have been queen, but she could certainly remember how much she’d disliked Shingo or her mother barging in without knocking.

“Of course, come in,” Naru’s voice came through the door, her accent still present despite all the years she’d lived.  It was comforting to have such a simple reminder of the past.

Serenity opened the door and walked inside, shutting it behind her.  Naru, being the wife of one of the highest ranking men in the palace, had a very luxurious room.  She thought back to when they were fourteen, hanging out in each other’s bedrooms and listening to music while they talked about boys.  Naru had always liked older men; would she ever have dreamed she would live in a palace while being married to her childhood love?

She’d thought, more than once, about the look on Naru’s face if she went back in time and told her, “Guess what Naru?  In the future, I become a queen, Nephrite comes back to life and marries you, and we both live in my palace!  Isn’t that cool?”  Setsuna would _kill_ her, but it might be worth it just to see how a younger Naru would react…

She shook the foolish thoughts from her mind and smiled at her friend, who put down the jewels she’d been stringing.  Naru had spent her youth surrounded by jewelry, so it made sense to Serenity that she still liked creating it to this day, even if she was fully capable of buying any expensive trinket she could find in a fancy boutique.

“Good afternoon,” Naru greeted with a kind smile.  “Is everything calming down?”

Oh, she wished.  Princess Kozue’s extremely unprofessional and public dismissal of the Starlights had only ended up being the start of it.  Yaten refused to leave her room, she’d had to listen to her own guardians chastise Kunzite and Zoisite’s sudden engagement—despite Small Lady insisting that she didn’t mind in the slightest—and to top it all off, an official invitation had arrived from the Prince of Nemesis, declaring that he wished to speak of peace.

The attack in the past from the Black Moon Clan had been the beginning of Naru really knowing something was wrong, and Serenity knew that now.  Naru didn’t, however, know the details, nor had she ever asked.  Serenity was glad, because what had happened in the past _hadn’t_ happened in the present.  Serenity hadn’t spared Death Phantom this time, and thus the rebels who left for Nemesis upon Crystal Tokyo’s birth hadn’t gotten as powerful or corrupt as they had long ago.  In fact, the Prince Demand that existed now seemed far less bitter—and thankfully not in love with her—than the one she’d dealt with before.  He wanted to talk…  So she would talk with him.

But none of that mattered at the present moment.  Right now, she had a question to ask Naru, and it had to do with a woman that Serenity still hadn’t had time to talk to personally.

“Well, things could be better I suppose.”  She struggled with the question she wanted to ask, knowing it was very personal.  But she needed some outside perspective…  “Naru…  What would you have done if Umino had lived to see Crystal Tokyo?”

“Oh Usagi,” Naru seemed taken aback by the question at first, but after a few long moments of silence, she sighed.  “I did love Gurio, but…  I love Nephrite more.  If Gurio and I had stayed together, I know that I wouldn’t have been happy after I knew Nephrite was alive again, and I would have had to choose…  And I would have chosen Nephrite.”

It made sense, Serenity thought.  Naru had loved Nephrite first, and that love had redeemed him before death.  Hundreds of years later, she still loved him.  And honestly, the very idea that Nephrite and Umino would have been able to _share_ Naru was laughable at best.

“…But I’m not you,” Naru continued, giving Serenity a knowing look, “and I’m not in your situation.  I _would_ have to choose, but from what I’ve heard of the situation, it sounds like you _won’t_.  Honestly, I think _you_ are the biggest obstacle right now.”

“Seiya only likes women.”  It was what she kept coming back to.  No matter how many people insisted that Endymion and Seiya could share, she just couldn’t let go that it didn’t seem fair somehow.  Her daughter was lucky that both of her partners also loved each other.  They could all be together, but even if she had both her husband and the woman she loved…  Wouldn’t one eventually feel left out?  She couldn’t bear to break their hearts.

“Even so, aren’t you just hurting everyone by keeping her away?”  Serenity shot her a confused look, causing Naru to smile and roll her eyes playfully.  “You aren’t happy, especially now that you know she’s staying here for good.  King Endymion isn’t happy because you aren’t happy.  And Miss Seiya isn’t happy because she’s been in love with you _forever_.  Don’t you think that maybe some of that unhappiness would immediately leave if you just let her in?”

It was those words that Serenity had in her head when she left, unfortunately needing to go write her response to Prince Demand before the day was over, lest he get impatient.  She’d never dealt with this version of him before—time travel was so _complicated_!—but she didn’t want to risk offending him by not responding in an orderly fashion.  She’d prevented an attack on the past from happening so far, and she wanted to keep it that way.

“Hey dumpling.”

The words froze Serenity in her tracks.

“S-Seiya…”  She couldn’t move, but she didn’t have to.  Seiya walked closer, not stopping until she was standing in front of Serenity.  She was…  She was _gorgeous_ , and that friendly, self-assured smirk made her heartbeat quicken even more than her revealing Sailor Starlight uniform did.  “I…  We haven’t gotten to speak alone…”

Her voice was apologetic, but Seiya laughed easily and waved off her concern.  Oh heaven above, she wanted nothing more than to take Seiya into her arms right there and beg her to let her have another chance, to make up for lost time.  But she couldn’t find the words, nor the courage to say what was in her heart.

“Don’t worry, dumpling.  You’re a queen, and you have a lot going on right now.  You’ve got, what, two weddings on the way?  Plus a peace talk?  And now you have to figure out what to do with us…”

She had spoken very briefly to Seiya and Taiki after Princess Kozue’s departure, assuring them that they were very welcome to stay and serve her, or they were free to leave and live on Earth as they pleased.  They had both insisted they would stay under her care, and that Yaten would as well.

Yaten…  Serenity hadn’t even seen her since the Starlights arrived.  The woman was refusing to leave her guestroom, and from what Serenity heard, not even the promise of a much nicer, permanent room in the same hall of the other female guardians had gotten her to come out.  It was very worrying, and Serenity’s compassion overrode her fear of speaking with Seiya.

“Is Yaten alright?  I know she likes to be alone, but this seems much too far…”  Upon seeing Seiya’s expression, she knew that no, Yaten _wasn’t_ alright.

“…I asked Taiki if she knew what happened, but she didn’t want to say anything.  But…”  She sighed, obviously debating whether to tell something that was most likely a secret.  Serenity wouldn’t pry, but she wanted to help if she could…  “I think it has to do with that pink-haired guy that came with your daughter’s boyfriends.”

Serenity clearly remembered the way Hawk’s Eye and Yaten had been glaring at each other, but it certainly hadn’t seemed like anything that would make Yaten withdraw from everyone.  When she voiced this opinion, Seiya shook her head slowly.

“No, you don’t understand…  But I guess you wouldn’t.  Things on Kinmoku are different than Earth, after all.”  Serenity waited patiently for Seiya to explain further, but it never came.  Seiya merely smiled sadly at her; it obviously wasn’t her secret to tell after all.

“Just tell me…”  She paused, a pang of sympathy for the hurting woman washing over her.  “Will she be all right?”

“I hope so.”

Serenity could have talked to Seiya all day, but knowledge that she had a reply to send and that she wasn’t in any condition to admit her feelings at the moment caused her to give her farewells to Seiya, promising that they would soon determine what the Starlights would do in Crystal Tokyo.  Seiya had agreed that it was a good idea, and upon saying goodnight, she’d gathered Serenity into a hug.

Serenity had a hard time letting go and an even harder time walking away.

\---

“You still haven’t told her.”

“No.”

“Why?”

“…I don’t know.”

She heard Endymion sigh before he pulled her closer.  They were lying in bed, but Serenity wasn’t tired.  Well, she _was_ , but she couldn’t sleep.  She just kept thinking of everything that was going on, and it all ended up coming back to Seiya.  She was amazed that her husband was putting up with her acting that way.

“You need to tell her.  You’ll feel much better.”

Even _he_ was telling her to confess to Seiya, and she _still_ couldn’t.  She didn’t know what was wrong with her, but she hoped she would be able to get over it soon.  She didn’t know how much longer she could take living that way…


	8. Chapter 8

Yaten knew that she was worrying her teammates, and remembering what she did about Usagi, probably the queen too.  She felt bad, she truly did, but she couldn’t go out there.  Not yet.

“You know, it’s okay.”  Seiya’s voice was a bit comforting at least.  She was the only one Yaten was allowing in, and that was only because she would have starved otherwise.  “Taiki and I are the only ones who know.  The others won’t think anything of it.  I mean, it’s perfectly normal here on Earth.  Hell, all relationships are these days.  Just look at everyone just here in the Crystal Palace!”

Yaten knew she was right, but it didn’t help.  After all, _she_ would know.  And she’d lived on Kinmoku for so long—Kinmoku, which hadn’t changed as Earth had.  She’d had to hear all her life that she was wrong and disgusting, and…

She refused to cry.  She was stronger than that.

“You know, I heard Minako talking to Rei,” Yaten tensed, but she still didn’t say a word, “and apparently that guy you were fighting with once targeted her when he was evil.  She two-timed him and that blond guy on a date.”

“Great,” she finally spoke up, her hands clenched in shaking fists.  “So Aino screws over guys too.  Nice to know I wasn’t special.”

“Yaten…”  Seiya sighed tentatively placed her hand on Yaten’s shoulder.  She quickly shrugged it off, and Seiya didn’t try again.  “You didn’t love Minako.”

“I should have.”

“No!”  Seiya’s voice was so passionate that Yaten jumped at the sound.  The stare she received told her that Seiya was being completely sincere.  “You shouldn’t have to love anyone you don’t want to.  If you aren’t into women, that’s fine.  If you like that guy, that’s fine!  Stop thinking there’s something wrong with you!”

“…Everyone on Kinmoku thought there was.”  Even if she wasn’t on Kinmoku anymore and never would be again, it didn’t stop the fact it had been drilled into her head her entire life.  “Do you know how many times I heard people say how disgusting people like me are?  Do you know how hard it was coming to Earth and finding out most people were like me?  And then having a girl I tried so hard to love reject me because I wasn’t a guy?  And then…  And then having to go back and hear the same things for hundreds of years?  It’s terrible!  I can’t just forget all of that overnight!  Especially when the second I get here I find some fashion-challenged guy who makes me feel all of those things everyone said I wasn’t supposed to feel for a man!”

She was shaking, and her rising voice cracked near the end.  She hated this.  She hated being different, and she hated that she _wasn’t_ different here in Crystal Tokyo, and yet she _still_ felt that way.

“…I’m sorry,” was all Seiya could say.  And Yaten believed her.  Of course she was sorry—but it didn’t fix anything.

“It’s fine.  Just please leave me alone.”

Seiya reluctantly obeyed her request.  The moment she was gone, Yaten couldn’t help it; the tears fell silently.  She hated crying, but not even her pride could stop her now.  It hurt so much, and she had many years of pain to work through.

\---

“You’re out.”

Yaten was barely out of the door when a familiar voice filled her ears.  She almost turned around and locked herself in again, but no.  She had to do this.  Hiding _wasn’t_ helping her, and honestly, the knowledge that there was a much more comfortable room waiting for her helped _a lot_.

It suddenly hit her that the very man who’d set all of this off had been staying in the room next to her the entire time.

“So what?” she asked, making sure her voice held the appropriate amount of haughtiness to fool him.  He didn’t look put off though, only concerned.  She didn’t want that, not from him.  “I didn’t feel like seeing your hideous heels again is all.  I had to rest my poor eyes from the sight of them.”

“For almost a week?”  Had it really been that long?  Time seemed to blur when she was depressed.

“They are _very_ ugly shoes.”  He didn’t look convinced—well, at least he wasn’t an idiot.  She’d hate if her stupid heartbeat was increasing over the mere sight of an imbecile.

“I think we got off to a bad start.”  It was stating the obvious, but she thought that was better than any pitying words he could give.  “I’m Hawk’s Eye.”

“Kou Yaten,” she supplied, humoring him.  Or so she told herself.  “But considering all of us Starlights are named Kou, everyone just calls me Yaten.”

“Alright then, hello…  Kou.”  She felt her face heat up despite herself.  No one called her by her given name, even if they didn’t know she was a Starlight.

“It’s Yaten,” she snapped, not caring that she actually liked hearing him say her name.  She wasn’t going down that road.

“I like Kou more,” Hawk’s Eye insisted, smirking down at her.  She found herself irritated that he was probably much taller than her even if he took his heels off.  “You know, I usually find older women more attractive, but you _are_ quite cute…  Especially when you’re angry, which seems to be all of the time.”

If he was trying to get under her skin, it was working.  Her face heated up even more at his flirtatious words.

“Really?  Because I’ve heard stories about you trying to seduce Aino, and _she_ isn’t old.”  While she didn’t like bringing up Minako, it did the trick.  His face flushed at the memory.  She wished she knew exactly what had gone on.

“That wasn’t one of my proudest moments,” he admitted.  “Well…  None of my time with the Dead Moon Circus really was.  Being with Tiger and Fish is really all I can look back fondly on…”

She’d heard that all four of the men who’d arrived the same time as her had been evil, but she couldn’t see how such a bright and goofy looking bunch could have been very intimating.  An alien and three guys from a circus.  It all sounded quite silly to her.

“What did you do, anyway?” she asked casually, as if she were asking for the time, determined not to let him see that she was honestly curious.  But as he explained the processes in which they had extracted dream mirrors, her stomach turned a bit.  “That’s… very invasive.”

“I know,” he agreed, his voice tinged with regret.  “What we did was terrible.  But, you know, if you just stay in the past feeling sorry for yourself, you can’t make a better future.”

No, she realized, you couldn’t.  She could mope around forever, lamenting the fact that she hadn’t fit into the neat little box Kinmoku had expected her to.  So she liked men, so what?  Half the women in the palace did too.  Seiya was right—that wasn’t anything out of the ordinary here, so why live in the past, hating herself?

Why indeed.

“You’re…”  It was hard for her to say certain things, like admit she was wrong or apologize.  Thanking people ranked up there too.  “You’re right.  I think I needed to hear that.”

She quickly turned on her heel and stalked off, not wanting to hear anything more he had to say.  She wasn’t sure she could handle anymore that day.

“Kou,” he yelled after her, “I don’t know what the people on your planet were thinking, but you aren’t disgusting.”

She paused for but a moment before she took off in a sprint.  She hated running, but she couldn’t stay there.  If he’d heard that…  Then he also must have heard…

She stopped after she turned a few corners, and her racing heart had nothing to do with physical exertion.  He’d heard what she’d said about him…  And he’d still called her cute.

A tiny smile formed on her lips.  Maybe…  Maybe everything really _would_ be okay.


	9. Chapter 9

While he’d expected some opposition to his sudden engagement, he hadn’t quite thought it would be from the Queen’s personal guardians.  Certainly not _only_ them.  But as it were, once the news spread, Kunzite heard far more congratulations than anything else.  Neo Queen Serenity had been very supportive, while King Endymion had smirked and told them it was about time.  Princess Small Lady herself had come up to them, her fiancés in tow, and personally assured them that she was completely fine with their marriage happening before hers.  The future princes had heartily agreed.

Therefore, Kunzite wasn’t sure why the Queen’s guardians—well, two of them at least—were acting as if his upcoming marriage to Zoisite was some terrible affront to humanity.  And he certainly wasn’t sure why they’d sent Ami Mizuno, of all people, to voice their concerns to him.

“…Usually you send Miss Aino to speak with me.”  And despite the fact that she hadn’t harbored feelings for him in centuries and they’d never been a couple, it usually got Zoisite in a right snit seeing them together.  It was probably a good thing that it _wasn’t_ her this time.  He didn’t need a sulking fiancé when they had a wedding to arrange.

“The others are all busy helping plan Small Lady’s wedding.”  Ami’s tone was all business as usual.  He suspected she would be getting to the point soon, unlike Minako, who would take ages to say what she was sent to tell him.  “They would like me to persuade you to hold off the wedding until after Small Lady’s.”

Her expression betrayed nothing, but he liked to give her more credit than to think she had no issues with what she’d just said.

“What exactly would be the point of that?” he questioned, his voice calm and even.  He was very thankful that she’d come to speak with him rather than Zoisite.  He didn’t think his beloved would have been able to keep a clear head over the subject.  He found it hard enough himself.  “When the princess herself sees no reason to delay my wedding, why ever should the lot of you care?”

Ami didn’t seem to have an answer for that.  He strongly suspected that was because anything the others—Rei, most likely—had come up with, she didn’t actually agree with it.  Small Lady’s blessing really should have been the end to everything, and even if Ami had personally cared, that would have stopped her objections

He wondered if he was going about this wrong.

“Tell me, Miss Mizuno, is Zoisite and I being wed the real problem here, or,” he made sure their eyes were locked before he continued, “is this all just something to focus on so that the personal problems your fellow guardians are having can be ignored?”

Ami steeled herself, and he had to give her credit—she only flinched a little.

“Please, don’t misunderstand.  I only came here because I was asked to, not because I have any interest in stopping you.  It’s true that there are many changes taking place right now, and perhaps it’s making some of my colleagues…”  She paused, as if wondering how to put things politely.  “ _Anxious_.  I don’t expect you to change your plans, nor do I want to.  But I’ll be honest, if I hadn’t agreed to speak with you, Minako and Rei might have driven me crazy with how much they’re complaining about things.”

“Well, I certainly know the feeling of having ones coworkers being more than a bit overbearing.” She smiled, just a bit.  “Then I trust that Miss Hino and Miss Aino should calm down soon?”

“I believe so.  You were merely the easiest thing to focus on.  I suppose they felt it best for them to go after someone on their own level rather than to voice any complaints with the royal family or their new… guests.”

This was news to him.  Zoisite had complained at first about the new Heavenly Kings, but that had mostly been dramatics.  He had a hard time imagining that the Queen’s guardians had any issues with the Queen, the princess, or the newest additions to their forces.  Then again, he’d also heard rumors that Minako had once had romantic dalliances with no less than three of them, and Rei had always held the belief that duty came before romance.  Either way, he wasn’t much for gossip, and he let it go.

“I see.  Very well, then if that is all…”

She nodded and turned to go, before stopping suddenly.  She didn’t turn around.

“Oh, but before I forget…  Makoto said that if you want her to bake the wedding cake, one of you should let her know.  Or myself.  Or…”  She paused, and she didn’t have to be facing him for him to see the way her skin flushed.  “Or Taiki.  Either way, it will get back to her.  G-good day.”

He watched her go, a rare amused expression on his face.  Was there something in the palace’s water that no one knew about?  He was sure he could count the number of single, high-ranking members of the royal guard on his fingers.  Well, he supposed that it was natural that beings who were effectively immortal would seek companionship, no matter how it might be composed.  He certainly wasn’t about to judge.

After a few moments, he turned and headed back to his quarters.  Perhaps he didn’t care for gossip, but Zoisite did.  And he was very sure that Zoisite would be interested in what he’d learned.


End file.
